Hostilities and Formalities
by Wannabe-Danish-Cookie
Summary: They meet three times: one in a time of life, one in a time of death, and one in between life and death. /WW2 AU\\ DenNor
1. Life

**A/N: Yay another fan fiction! *happy cheering noises***

**I've been hoping to write something historically accurate for some time, and I guess this might be it.**

**This'll be a three chapter fic (maybe four if I add an epilogue)**

**Enjoy!**

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The first time that they meet, it is at Tivoli Gardens, in the early-mid twentieth century. The Danish theme park is in full swing, couples holding hands with sweet smiles and the air light with a gentle melody. Tantalizing aromas weave between the crowds, leading them on towards the center of the park, all laughter and cheer.

The day is beautiful, the sun's rays filling every visitor with pleasure, the clouds lazily rolling over the perfect sky.

They both notice the sky, the baby blue sky that reflects marvelously on the lake where the pirate ship stands proudly. Their varying cerulean eyes are drawn to the ship, and they both stride towards it, unaware of the other at their side.

One, a tall, spiky haired blonde whose eyes dance with excitement, brushes a hand along the wooden exterior with awe, with a childish amusement. The ship, for him, brings back memories of a childhood at sea, fishing and sailing.

The other, a shorter, more orderly blonde with eyes that are more subdued, but are still alight with fascination, knocks on the smooth wood lightly, wondering if it was real.

Their hands brush briefly, and they both jump back, just then realizing that the other is there. They study each other for a second.

The taller one, a Dane, notices the opposing's dull blonde hair, his polished cross hairpin, his sailor outfit. He also notices his eyes. His eyes are mysterious, deep, and he wants to learn more about those eyes.

The other, a visiting Norwegian, notices the Dane's obviously gelled hair, his steel-toed boots, his suit that is too formal for the occasion. He also notices his grin. His grin is knowing, pained, and he wants to learn more about that grin.

The Dane speaks up first. His voice is loud, brash, confident. His Danish is practiced yet casual at the same time, like a student talking to his literature teacher.

"I'm Mathias! Mathias Køhler! You like this ship too, don't you?" he points out boldly, his grin still pasted on his face.

"Obviously. I wouldn't be studying it so closely if I didn't, right? I'm Lukas. You may call me Mr. Bondevik," he deadpans, staring blankly at the taller.

His voice is quiet, calm, testing. His Norwegian is smooth and silky, a beautiful melody composed of mere words, like a famous opera singer.

"Oh! You're... Norwegian? That's neat! Coming all the way here to Copenhagen!" Mathias brushes off the curtness, keeping up his pep and cheer.

"Well... I was begged to come. A friend of mine recommended it, and they have very large persuasive capabilities. And obviously you're Danish, going off of your rude nature," Lukas snapped back, yet it didn't have the bite that it usually had. The Dane puzzled him. Usually people backed off from his prickly personality; Mathias did the opposite.

"Ahaha~ Your friend sounds like a fun person! And I bet you are too!"

"You bet wrong. I am anything but fun."

"Everyone has a wild side!"

"Then I am no one."

The Dane becomes serious suddenly, placing a heavy, calloused hand on Lukas's shoulder. With a deep breath, he asks, softly, "May I show you around?"

And Lukas is speechless, finds himself lost in the crooked smile of the other male, finds himself drowning in those soft eyes. With a furious blush and a slap at the hand on his shoulder, he can only nod quickly.

"Get your dirty Danish paws off of me!"

Mathias grins and lets out a loud, unrestrained laugh, wrapping his strong arms around the other. The Norwegian's face burns brighter, but he smiles softly nonetheless.

.

They spend the day exploring the beautiful park, taking in the sights and sounds, the scents and feelings of the area. The whole place feels alive, and they converse idly, bonding over rides and shows and food.

At the opera house, Mathias learns some Norwegian.

"Eg heiter Lukas," the shorter says at the end of the opera, waiting for the other's reply.

"Eg heiter Mathias!" the Dane cheers, his Norwegian so Danish sounding, yet it somehow feels right. "Godt å sjå deg!" he adds, beaming with pride.

Lukas just ducks his head, waving his hand in approval. He tries to hide his reddening face. Mathias sounds so attractive.

.

At the carousel, Lukas learns some Danish.

"Jeg hedder Mathias!" the spiky-haired blonde shouts over the cheesy carousel music, atop his black stallion.

"Jeg hedder Lukas," the other replies, his voice nearly lost in the excited screams of young children. "Det var hyggeligt at møde dig," he adds, his head lowered towards his chestnut mare, a mere whisper, yet Mathias hears him.

The Dane's grin widens impossibly, and he gives Lukas a big thumbs up.

.

At the dragon boats, they tell each other their histories, rather fitting, if one were to ask them.

Mathias tells of the sea and of the sickness that took his parents. He tells of the fear that drove away his adopted siblings. He speaks with the wistfulness of an old man, yet his childish actions defy that greatly.

Lukas tells of a normal, schooled childhood, albeit somewhat lonely and of the earthquake that took his parents. He tells of the luck of him and his brother. He speaks fondly, a smile on his lips.

Any bystander that happens to be in a dragon boat or passing by stares at the odd couple. It looks ridiculous, their knees up to their chest while they drive the small boats side by side, both smiling awkwardly. The kids think it's adorable.

.

At the food stands, they become good friends.

Mathias stuffs his mouth with huge sandwiches and downs cup after cup of beer, tearing through his food ravenously. Between bites, he offers current events to discuss and the turmoil around Germany. After a while, though, he is too far gone in the realm of drunkenness to add to the conversation, and it becomes small talk, the weather, the park, so on and so forth.

Lukas takes prim bites of the rather delicious sandwiches, a cup of iced lemonade by his side, more restrained. He piles on what he has heard about the things Mathias brings up, and discovers how political he can be. When the other is slowing down and his movements are slurred, he is content to just chat idly, enjoying the day.

.

And when they separate, very reluctantly on both of their parts, they promise to contact each other, trading business cards and goodbyes.

They put their newly learned languages to good use.

"Ha det!" Mathias waves, a bit sluggishly, still fighting off some aftereffects despite having drunken water.

"Farvel!" Lukas replies, waving back.

Then they turn their backs on each other, minds buzzing with the day's events.

That was the first time they met, in a time of life.

.

_**Eg heiter Lukas (Norwegian): **__My name is Lukas_

**_Eg heiter Mathias (Norwegian):_**_ My name is Mathias_

**_Godt å sjå deg (Norwegian): _**_Nice to meet you_

**_Jeg hedder Mathias (Danish): _**_My name is Mathias_

**_Jeg hedder Lukas (Danish): _**_My name is Lukas_

_**Det var hyggeligt at møde dig (Danish): **__Nice to meet you (casual)_

**_Ha det (Norwegian):_**_ Goodbye_

**_Farvel (Danish):_**_ Goodbye_

**I'm not so sure about the Norwegian translation, but the Danish one I'm pretty sure I got down... I do suck at Danish so please correct me if it's wrong! (I should feel ashamed, but I don't; English is a beautiful language.)**

**And they understand each other because the languages are so similar that experienced speakers can understand the other language, as with Swedish.**

**The fair is real, it's the second oldest amusement park in the world, and the first is also in Denmark!**

**I actually feel pretty satisfied with this chapter!**

**As always, review please!**

**Tak and Best Wishes,**

**Wannabe-Danish-Cookie**


	2. Death

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 2 is up!**

**Any who, enjoy!**

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The second time they meet, it is barely seven years after their first encounter. Lukas is back in Norway, now occupied by Nazi Germany, living his life undercover as a resistance worker. He is not Jewish, but he feels the need to help them, and secretly sends them off to Sweden, where they are safe.

He likes the thrill, and for the first time in a long time, he feels like he has a place in someone's life. He hasn't felt that since he met him.

_Mathias_.

He knows that it is nearly impossible to find the male again, yet he still tenses up with excitement when he hears news about the Danes.

That is why he is so happy when his group hears of a Danish resistance group that has been posing as Nazi soldiers and taking the Jews to Sweden. There is news of a fearless leader, the commander of the 'army unit', with untameable hair and a firey personality. He hears that he is young and strong, tall and muscular.

Lukas is _sure_ that it's him. There's no one else that it could be.

And so he spends his time fizzling with excitement, reassuring the scared escapees with actual faith behind his words. Because there is hope. Hope is there.

He never would have said this before he met the Dane seven years ago, but he thought it now.

The Danish _are_ really helpful, after all.

.

Mathias's army unit, well, faux army unit of Danish freedom fighters, trails behind him, marching obediently so as not to make any German that might be watching suspicious, though he can feel the palpable excitement in the air. They are nearing a fairly well known base of operations of a group of Norwegian rebels, and everyone in the unit is looking forward to civilization and real food after a month of hard ration loaves of bread and nearly inedible potatoes.

He himself aches for beer and a sexy lady at his side, but has to bury it under a hard face. After all, no commander of any unit of soldiers has a dreamy grin on his face.

Especially not anyone that wants to secretly smuggle Jews to neutral Swedish land without getting killed. So the company stays as stoic as possible as they can be on the outside.

Mathias also longs for company. These soldiers are so used to treating him like a higher-up that he can't fit in with them no matter what. He wishes for Lukas. He hopes the quiet male is safe. Judging by his cross-shaped hair clip, though, he was in no risk of being sent to Jewish concentration camps.

Patting the large axe that is strapped around him and is resting on his back, he turns his head towards his followers and hollers, "We're almost there!" Cheers answer him, and he can't help a proud grin to inch up his face. They were so fun sometimes.

His mind wanders at the thought of some alcohol and maybe some quality time with some pretty lady.

.

Lukas is busy printing a fake passport for one of the newly rescued Jews when his superior, a stout woman in her mid-forties, pats him on the back.

"The Danish are here. I was just telling you. You can pause for a bit and go meet with them. There's someone special, isn't there?" she informs, before winking and walking off to relay the news to the others.

Lukas places the pen back in the inkwell, pushing back his chair as he stands up. He unconsciously finds himself straightening his worn button-up short and pulling on his coat.

Excitement is buzzing through his veins, and he dashes up the winding staircase that led up to a normal looking convenience store. That was really all the secret base was, yet it had never been found out, so it was a decent hiding place.

He stepped out of the door to the shop, looking left and right for the familiar swamp green Wehrmacht uniforms.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices a flash of bright red, the Nazi armband? He swivels to that general direction, deep blue eyes beseeching. There!

Something flashes gold in the sunlight, and he squints, finding a unit of soldiers marching towards him. And at the front... Was that...?

"Hej, Lukas!" a familiar voice shouts out, and yes, it is, it's Mathias. Lukas smiles slightly, lifting a hand and waving. Mathias starts running, which is no easy feat considering his tired body, and it spurs the rest of the men forward, a stampede of eager cattle.

And then Lukas is swept along, his hand gripped in a strong, gloved one, and they run together, hooting and hollering happily, as if the war had just ended, even though the rest of the town is dead silent, and people are starving, they rejoice for a brilliant moment together.

After a while of frolicking, Lukas leads the exhausted commander inside the convenience store, which has long since been looted nearly to the ground. He notices the Dane looking around, confused, and smirks knowingly.

They duck behind a shelf and kick away bits of rubble, and Lukas shows the other the staircase leading to the cellar that is the base of operations.

.

Once they are settled in on two cots pushed together, Lukas asks about life pretending to be a soldier. Mathias' eyes light up, and he weaves a tale of companionship and bravery, helping the weak get to safe havens and doing all of this while pretending to try and catch them.

He recounts with an amused expression of a time when they even staged a mock fight, with pebble throwing and everything. That pulls a chuckle out of even Lukas.

But then his eyes darken, remembering the times when his soldiers died of famine and disease, of when they were right on the edge of Germany, how they had to fight for their lives. Countless soldiers had fallen, like the former commander, who appointed Mathias as co-commander.

Lukas nodded solemnly, offering the other a second to compose himself, before gently pulling off one of Mathias' black gloves and neatly folding it. Their fingers intertwined, and the Norwegian almost puked at how much more rough and scarred the Dane's was than from seven years ago. It was so cruel.

Mathias notices, and laughs humourlessly, the sound grating against Lukas' ears. He hates how much the war has changed the Dane, how responsible he now is, how bleak.

He wishes that Mathias had just stayed safe in Denmark, hanging around Tivoli and exchanging greetings in Norwegian with passerby, always cheerful.

But then, he decides, his other hand reaching up to comb through the Danish man's messy hair, they wouldn't have been able to meet again.

And that, he smiles as Mathias yawns and curls up on the cot, is the most important thing.

.

The days pass too soon, Lukas seeming to barely tell his story and the two of them teaching each other more of their languages, before it is time for the Danes to leave, along with the Jews and their new fake passports.

It is only a few more hours before Mathias departs to Sweden, and they are sitting together under a bare, ash-covered tree. The Dane is staring wistfully at the sky, his hand laced with Lukas' hand. The Norwegian finally speaks up, voice quiet.

"Why'd you agree to all of this? You don't get paid, and you don't get recognized. What's the point?"

Mathias blinks thoughtfully, his other hand running through the other man's silky hair.

"Well, for one, all the seriousness of being a real soldier would make me keel over."

He quips, a side of his mouth tilted upwards in a smirk.

"Next, it's because I wouldn't just leave these poor Danes to die!"

He taps his chin.

"And, maybe I'm just selfish, but I wanted to escape reality."

"Me too."

Lukas answers simply.

.

And then the scene is all to familiar, they are waving and exchanging farewells and thank you's and everyone is loud and boisterous, drowning out the unbearable quiet.

Lukas and Mathias stare at each other for a minute, before the latter turns away, gesturing for his soldiers to follow.

Lukas touches his fingers to his lips and sends it off towards Mathias, an air kiss.

And Mathias swears he can feel something sweet on his lips.

That was the second time they met, in a time of death.

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**Yeah... That wasn't as angsty and gory as it could have been. Oh well, I'll just add extra to the next chapter!**

**Oh yeah, those of you following Iwatobi Fire Department, sorry for the delay, I've got it mostly typed out but I'm on a slight slump. The next chapter will be out by tomorrow!**

**I actually like how cute and fluffy this chapter turned out, though!**

**Reviews would be lovely.**

**Tak, and Best Wishes,**

**Wannabe-Danish-Cookie**


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